Everything I Want to Be
by LIFE the RANGER
Summary: Percy and Jason are about as opposite as could be in high school. Jason is popular, plays sports, and has good grades. Percy is not so popular, does drama, and struggles in school. And he positively loathes Jason for the fact. Half of the time, he doesn't even know why. Could it be because Jason is everything Percy wants to be? Rated T to be safe. Eventual Jacey.
1. Chapter 1-I Loath You

Okay, so this idea is totally random, and came out of nowhere. It's Jacey (or whatever the heck you want to call it). And I figured most of you would probably like it since you like every other different paring story I write. So, let's strap ourselves in and get ready for this wild ride, yeah?

…

Percy's POV

…

To say I hated Jason Grace would be putting it mildly. I positively loathed him. And I had no idea why. Perhaps it was because he was the typical high school jock, the one with all the friends and the girls at his beck and call, and I was the lowly drama geek who had about five friends in total excluded all the other fellow drama geeks. Or perhaps it was because he managed to get straight A's and I could never get above a C. Actually, I think I got a B- at some point, but that's not the point of the story. To make a long story short, I loathed Jason and everything about him. I'm pretty sure the feeling was mutual, because he tended to steer clear of me as well.

Mrs. Arnald's Physical Science class was one of the few classes I had him in. He sat about five seats away from me, and I was glad for the fact. I'd vomit if he sat any closer. He always smelled like he'd dumped a bottle of cologne on himself before leaving the house. I sat next to Grover Underwood and Annabeth Chase, a couple of other drama geeks. They were pretty cool, but I didn't talk to them much.

"Alright class," Mrs. Arnald said, standing at the front of the room. She had everyone's attention instantly. It wasn't really because we all liked her (but we did), it was mostly because she was pretty. She was in her early twenties, with elfish features and soft caramel brown hair and kind hazel eyes. She was pretty, but not my type. I swung for the same team. "Today we'll be starting our big assignment, mouse trap cars!" There was a buzz through the room. This is the lab everyone had been waiting for. "I've already picked your partners…" she added, and everyone groaned. "…so you can meet new people. Let's see. Annabeth Chase and Will Solace." The two blondes eyed each other warily. "Jake Mason and Grover Underwood. Jason Grace and Percy Jackson…"

"What?" I blurted before I could stop myself. Twenty pairs of eyes turned to look at me. "Mrs. Arnald, if I may interrupt," I said, blushing. "Could I perhaps have a different partner?" Jason frowned in a thoughtful way at me, and my insides boiled. What did he expect? We hated each other!

"Now Percy," Mrs. Arnald said sweetly, which is how I knew that she was pissed. "I've already assigned everyone partners. You wouldn't want me to switch up two groups, would you?" I would very much liked that, but I shook my head all the same.

"No ma'am," I mumbled. Jason smirked, and I wanted to punch him in the face. How dare he smirk at my embarrassment? I didn't pay attention to the rest of the list, but I did take notice of everyone getting up to sit with their partners. I didn't want to move, but I rose and made my way over to his table. He gazed up at me.

"Hello," he said coldly. "So you're Percy."

"And you're Jason," I replied in the same tone of voice. "I guess we're going to be working together." _Not that I like that_, I added silently. "I had some basic plans worked out beforehand," I added, sitting down on the opposite side of the table and fishing around my backpack. I found my science notebook and flipped open to the pages covered in designs. Jason took the notebook from me and studied the plans.

"It's cute," he said at last, handing the notebook back. "But it won't go far. The front's too heavy. The mousetrap will release the rubber band, but it'll just sit there." And now I felt stupid. "It's a good design though," he added hurriedly. "And if we tweak it a bit, I think it'll be the best in the class." I wasn't sure how I felt about that.

"Class," Mrs. Arnald said, and we all turned to look at her. "You have two weeks to complete this. It may be beneficial of you meet up with your partners outside of class to do extra work." I groaned. More time with Jason? Wasn't it bad enough that we were lab partners? Now we had to spend time outside of class together too. Jason looked like someone had just told him that he had to wash his grandmother's back this weekend. I probably had a look along similar lines. "Have fun with this project," she told us. "It's all about being creative and blending scientific ideas." As if Jason was any sort of creative. Having a creative mind was one of the reasons I was in drama. In addition to acting, I painted sets and backdrops.

"So, do you want to get an early start?" Jason asked me, ripping a piece of paper out of his notebook. He scribbled something on it, then handed it to me. I stared at the paper uncomprehendingly. "My number," Jason explained, tapping the paper with his pen. "Text me when you can work on the project. Or don't. I don't give a shit."

"You may not," I retorted. "But I do. I have to pass this class, and this is my last chance at a good grade. I'm not being kicked out of drama because my so called partner doesn't want to do shit." Jason turned his icy blue eyes on me and glared. I wasn't intimidated. Have I mentioned I loath Jason?

…

"How did you get paired up with Jason Grace?" Annabeth asked me at rehearsals that night. "Did you bribe Mrs. Arnald? Did you say you'd clean white boards for a month? What did you do?" I wrinkled my nose in disgust. It was major set night, so we were busy putting together a giant ship. We were doing Robinson Crusoe for our spring play, and we were all excited. Malcolm would be Robinson of course. And Annabeth would surely be his mother. I was going to try out for the captain. Next to Robinson, it's one of the biggest parts. I hefted a board over my shoulders and carried it out onto the stage.

"I didn't do anything," I said to her. She followed behind me with some of our platform legs. "I'm just that lucky." My voice oozed sarcasm. "I hate that guy. I don't know why he's so great." Annabeth gazed at me, her mouth open in shock. "What?" I asked her.

"He's Jason fucking Grace!" she exclaimed. "How can you not like him?"

"He's the spoiled jock that everyone loves to love," I replied through gritted teeth. "I don't see him here, helping us put the set together. He won't be auditioning. Hell, he won't even come to the performance. Why? Because he's a jock. He has the right to miss such things." Annabeth opened her mouth like she was going to say something, but then she closed it again. Apparently, I asked he questions she didn't know the answer to. "Exactly," I said to her. "So I don't see what's to love about Jason Grace."

"He's hot," Annabeth pointed out. "Not even cute. He's hot. Have you seen his beach blonde hair? Rumor is he did it out in Cali over the summer. And his tan. And my god, his eyes!" Annabeth squealed, and if I didn't change topics soon, she was going to be a Fangirl puddle on the floor.

"He's not that cute," I protested. "That tan is probably fake. As for the eyes, I'm pretty sure he wears contacts. No one's eyes are naturally that bright a blue." Annabeth put her hands on her hips and jutted her lip out, studying me.

"Is the reason you're saying all this because you like him and don't want anyone to know?" she asked me. I laughed like a manic. Where the hell did that come from?

"No," I said as calmly as I could. "I don't like Jason. I loath him. I don't want to be his lab partner and I certainly don't want to spend time with him outside of school. I'd rather burn my eyeballs out with the fire poker." Annabeth gaped at me.

"Holy shit you're serious," she said. I nodded. "Well, like it or not Perce, you have to spend some time with him. Remember what we say in the theater?" I sighed.

"'Always look forward to a new opportunity,'" I quoted. "I know that Annie. But that doesn't mean I like it. He's just so…perfect." I winced as Annabeth smiled triumphantly at me.

"So there's the truth," she said. "You don't like Jason because he's everything you want to be." I sighed. "He's smart, he's funny, he's popular, he's good at sports…"

"You know you're not helping, right?" I asked her, taking the hammer and nailing the board to the platform. "Just talk to him. Maybe you'll find he's not as bad as you think. Maybe you'll actually like him!" I turned to look at her.

"The day I like Jason Grace is the day it snows in Hell," I said.

…

I collapsed onto my bed after another busy day. But I was happy. Set went so well, we were close to half-way done. Hey, that's good for us! We were looking to paint the entire set by the end of the week at the rate we were going. After my conversation with Annabeth, Malcolm and Connor Stoll entertained us all with crazy antics. And we ordered Domino's Pizza for dinner. All in all, it was a good night.

I worked the stiffness out of my limbs and heaved myself to my feet. I was not passing out in my set clothes again. I went to remove my sweatpants when something crinkled inside. I reached inside and pulled out a piece of paper. I unfolded it and stared at Jason's number for about ten minutes. I didn't want to put his number in my phone. That meant actually acknowledging the fact that Jason was my lab partner. I wadded the paper up and tossed it onto my desk. I didn't have the heart to get rid of it either. Like it or not, I had to work with him, and I had to get ahold of him somehow. I slipped on plaid pajama pants and crawled into bed. But suddenly I felt full of energy, like I'd drunk a sixteen ounce coffee.

"What the hell?" I asked myself, rising and walking to the window. "Why can't I sleep?" But I knew the answer. It was Jason fucking Grace, on my mind, and not for the first time. Every time he came to my brain, I couldn't sleep. He gave me energy I didn't want. It was probably energy spent hating his guts. I gripped my windowsill and let my unusually long hair fall into my face. It was almost down to my shoulders now. Why the hell did Jason have to pop into my mind now?

Maybe Annabeth had a point. If I really thought about it, Jason was everything I wanted to be. I wanted friends like he had. I wanted the athletic ability and the drive to do sports. I wanted the ruggedly good looks he had. And I wanted his easy way with people. I was socially awkward, and talking with new people always left me tongue-tied. I sat down heavily on my bed and rested my head between my knees. Why was I comparing myself to Jason Grace? I was better than that! Maybe not him, exactly, but I was good looking, in my own way. I was sociable in my own group of people. I was athletic enough.

I rose again and paced my small room. Stupid Jason! I knew there was a reason I loathed him. He gave me low self-esteem. Okay, I know what you're going to say. _Only you can do that to yourself, blah blah blah_. Jason certainly didn't help, did he? Next to his godly appearance, I appeared average, and not even the good average. I looked like someone who spent a lot of time inside. I did, but I wasn't going to tell him that.

"Percy, go to sleep!" mom called softly from her room. I winced. I forgot she was going to be going to work early tomorrow. I stopped pacing and crawled under the covers. But I still wasn't tired. Far from it. I was going to spend the remainder of the night thinking of Jason, the boy I wished I could be.

…

Not a bad start. But not a great start either. I don't know. What do you think?


	2. Chapter 2-The Bet

So, I just posted the story this morning. Within the first half hour, a review. I'm quite content, really. Jacey was my OTP for the longest time (guys, my OTP is Percico, sorry if I led you to believe otherwise). I do still enjoy Jacey stories though. They're both cute and power hungry. Always makes for an interesting couple.

…

Percy's POV

…

"Percy, are you even listening?" Jason asked irritably. I shook the fog from my brain and slouched in my seat, turning my sea green eyes on him. "Right," he said, rolling his eyes. "So I was thinking of wider in the back, shorter in the front. And round off the very front so it dips in the middle. Aerodynamic!" Jason sure seemed excited about this project. I looked over at his sketch. "We can still use the CD tires with balloons over them to stop friction. That's a stroke of pure genius Percy." I couldn't help it; I glowed a little at his praise. No one had ever called me a genius before. But I couldn't show I actually liked it. I was supposed to hate him, after all.

"Fine," I said breezily, gazing down. My hair flipped into my face again, and through it I could see Jason studying me with a thoughtful frown. "What?" I snapped, jerking my head up. "Don't study me like I'm our project!" Back to hating him again.

"Nothing," he said, a faint blush painting his cheeks pink. "I was just wondering why you have such long hair. It's unusual for a guy to have it passed their ears." Great. Now I felt self-conscious about my hair. I tucked it behind my ears and shrugged.

"I like it long," I said. "If you have such a problem with it, Grace, I can chop it off." He held up his hands in a peace gesture, looking alarmed at the sudden hostility.

"I never had a problem with it!" he shot back. "I was just commenting. Jesus Christ Jackson, what's your deal?" My blood was boiling to dangerous levels.

"What's my deal?" I droned sarcastically. "What's my deal? I'll tell you my deal. I don't like you. I hate being your partner, and I can't wait for this stupid project to be over so I can get rid of you!" Jason looked like he was going to say something back, but instead he buried his face in his hands and bolted out of the room. Nineteen pairs of eyes watched him go, then they turned to glare at me. "What?" I asked heatedly. "I was just being honest."

"Can I talk to you Percy?" Mrs. Arnald said, motioning for me to follow here. I was in deep shit now. I followed her out into the hall, and she closed the classroom door.

"Look Mrs. Arnald," I began. "If it's about what I said…"

"Did you ever wonder why you were paired up with Jason?" Mrs. Arnald interrupted, and I stopped mid-apology. I guess I always thought it was a random draw. "It's no accident you two were paired up together," she said. "I've noticed you boys were always so distant. But I never thought anything of it. Until Jason asked if there was any way he could paired up with you for this project." I nearly choked on my own spit.

"Jason asked if he could be my partner?" I asked in disbelief. "And it's snowing in July. Seriously, Mrs. Arnald, there's no way he asked if he could be my partner. We hate each other." But she was shaking her head.

"Jason doesn't hate you," she replied. "It upsets him that you hate him. I think it bothers him more than he'd care to admit, but it does. It bothers him a lot. He hoped working on this project together would perhaps resolve whatever has been going on between you two boys, but it doesn't appear to be working. I suppose I'll have no choice but to split you two up."

"No, no," I said before I could stop myself. "I'll try harder to be nice to him. As we say in drama, 'Always look forward to a new opportunity.' I don't even know why I hate him, but I do." Mrs. Arnald gave me a thin smile and squeezed my shoulder. She moved passed me and went into the classroom, where all the activity began to pick up again. But my heart wasn't in the project anymore. I wanted to find Jason and apologize for my behavior. I jogged off down the direction he went, and when I heard sniffling in the bathroom, I paused. I shoved the door open with my shoulder. "Jason?" I asked, and the sniffling stopped.

"What do you want Jackson?" he asked with as much scorn as he could muster. Which wasn't much at this point in time. "Leave me alone will you? You've made your point very clear. You hate me. Don't you think I don't know that? I'm smarter than people give me credit for." I sagged against the wall.

"You're talking to the dumb idiot who can't get above a C to save his life," I replied to that. "And you dare call yourself stupid." I chuckled sadly. "Nice try Grace. You're ploy for attention is up." The stall door slowly opened and Jason came out, smiling a little. "See? That's better," I said.

"Why do you hate me?" he asked. "Did I do something wrong to you? If I did, I'm truly sorry. I don't like being mean to anybody." I sighed. Perfect Jason Grace, once again. I didn't know if I loathed him or pitied him at this point.

"You've done nothing wrong," I assured. "It's my own petty feelings getting in the way. I'll try to tame them for the two weeks we're partners." He frowned, but he said nothing, so I forged on. "After all, we have to blend creative ideas."

"Yeah," he said. "Hey, tell you what. I have a deal for you. If, at the end of two weeks you actually can stand me, you say you'll be my friend. But, if you still hate me after this, I won't bother you ever again." Jason Grace out of my life for good? Hell yeah!

"Fine," I said. "But don't get your hopes up. I don't change my mind easily." This time, he gave me a genuine smile.

"We'll see about that," he said slyly. "I can be very persuasive when I want to be. Hey, I don't have practice tonight. Wanna go to the library after school and work on our project some?" The idea was a repulsive one, but I nodded all the same.

"Sure," I replied. "I didn't have anything planned. Might as well get an early start on the building phase." Jason grinned and took off down the hall.

"Text me after school and tell me where your locker is!" he called over his shoulder. "I'll meet you there!" He disappeared around the corner, and I pulled my phone out of my pocket. Without actually meaning to, I memorized his number.

…

I sent a text to Jason as I juggled my books in my arms and tried, unsuccessfully, to open my locker door. The struggle was very real today. In English I we were studying different literary styles, and we had about ten books we were looking at. It wasn't fun trying to get everything into my locker. Or open my locker with all my shit in my arms.

"Here, I got you," a voice said, and my stack of books disappeared as Jason loaded them into his arms. I blinked at him in surprise and swirled my lock around. I opened the door and began stuffing books in. I didn't think they'd all fit. It was a tight squeeze as it was. "You sure have a lot of stuff Perce," he said, gazing around my cramped locker. "And you say you aren't a bright kid." I grabbed my bag and slammed my locker shut.

"I'm not," I said through gritted teeth. "I'm in the lowest math they could put me in because they don't know what the hell to do with me." I strode ahead of him. Hell was a sauna right now. Boiling fucking hot. Hell wouldn't see snow, ever. Jason caught up quick, and we walked side by side until we reached to library. He sat down at the nearest table, and I sat across from him. There was no way I was sitting beside me. I'd rather be hunted by Michael at this point in time. I knew agreeing to come here after school was a bad idea. I remembered why I hated him so much. He was so sarcastic. So snarky. So…perfect. Why did Jason have to be so perfect? Why did he have to take an interest in me all of a sudden?

"Percy, you okay?" he asked me after a few minutes of silence. "You look like you're not quite here right now." I sighed.

"I'm not," I said. "You asked why I hate you." Jason froze, and his intense blue gaze focused solely on me. "You're so perfect, it's almost unbelievable. You have so many friends, you're always the first for everything, and you get straight A's. I've never seen you fail anything. I wish I could be you, just for a day, so I'd know how it feels. That, Jason Grace, is why I hate you so much. You're everything I want to be." Jason sat in stunned silence while I ducked my head, tears streaming down my cheeks. God, why did I say that? "You know what, I think I'm going to go," I said, rising from my chair. Jason sprang up from his seat and grabbed my wrist.

"Percy, wait," he said. "That's why you hate me? Because you think I'm better than you?" He shook his head. "Don't think that Perce. It isn't true. I wish I could be half the man you are. You're kind and considerate. You rarely judge. Annabeth and Grover really like you. Even if you aren't smart, the teachers adore you. I don't have that. They think I'm some kind of troublemaker." I smiled fainly.

"Could it be because Thalia left you a bad rep?" I asked. I knew Jason had an older sister named Thalia, and I also knew she'd given the freshman teachers a pretty hard time. Jason groaned.

"My god Thalia," he said with a laugh. "I forgot she had to deal with them too. The only one who treats me like I'm not a criminal is Mrs. Arnald. That's probably a good thing." He gazed at me shyly. "I wouldn't be paired up with you if she didn't treat me right." I gulped. Now why did he have to say a corny thing like that?

"Is Jason Grace actually being corny?" I asked, and he blushed. "And blushing. Somebody call the news. Front page story right here!" Jason laughed and sat back in his seat. This time, I sat beside him, and we went over the notes together. We finally settled on a design that incorporated both of our ideas that we liked. I was excited. Jason invited me over to his place so we could work on the body of the car, and I accepted without hesitation. It was only after he left that I remembered I was supposed to hate him.

…

"How'd the study date go?" mom asked me as I let myself into the apartment. I gazed at the clock in the living room, and winced. I'd been at school for almost three hours after the final bell rang at two thirty. "You and Jason are really hitting it off, huh?" I turned sharply to her.

"How'd you know that was who I was with?" I asked, hanging my backpack up on the hook by the closet door. I slipped my light jacket into the closet and made my way into the kitchen. I stole a cookie from the cookie jar and sat down at the table, flipping open my General Math book. "I never said who I was studying with. And we weren't studying. We were designing a car." My mom laughed.

"Alright, alright, your stepfather called me," she said. I frowned.

"Why would dad call you?" I asked. "Just cause he's the principal doesn't mean he needs to spy on me." She chuckled.

"He just saw someone you don't usually pal around with, and checked the files. Jason's got a pretty clean record. His sister, not so much." She sipped at her iced tea and leaned back in her chair. "How did the designing go?" she asked me. My face lit up as I pulled the design out of my notebook.

"It went well," I replied. "This is what we came up with. Jason had the brilliant idea of rounding the front out so it isn't so top heavy. He called me a genius for coming up with the wheels. Me, mom, a genius!" She laughed.

"My little boy's in love," she said. I wrinkled my nose in disgust.

"Eww, what mom, no," I said. "I hate Jason. I just told him I'd try and be friendly while the project was going on. Today actually wasn't so bad. It went better than I thought it would. He pretty much called me perfect…" I halted in my tracks and stared at her. "Mom, Jason called me perfect," I said. I gathered my things and fled to my room, slamming the door shut behind me. I wasn't perfect. Not by a long shot. The only thing that I could even consider perfect about me was my hair. Speaking of that, it was time to comb it. I sat down at my dresser and picked up my brush.

I ran the brush through the snarls and gazed at my reflection. I always hated the way my eyes looked too big for my face. I hummed softly as I ran the brush though my hair. I actually enjoyed getting all the tangles out and making it feel nice and soft. It was one of the things I was actually good at. Maybe it was time to be a little stereotypical and be a hairdresser. A gay hairdresser.

"God Jason," I mumbled, setting the brush aside. "Why do you have to make things so fucking complicated? My life was fine until you had to come and butt into it." I slouched in my seat and said his number over and over. I still had it memorized. Storm clouds were brewing in hell tonight.

…

I have no idea if that was longer or not. This will probably be a typical chapter length since I have a thousand other things to update before you all kill me.


	3. Chapter 3-A Thin Line

So, off to a good start, yeah? I hope so. This isn't my first Jacey, but I want it to be longer than my other ones, because I have one one-shot and a five chapter story that aren't the best. So, I'm here to redeem myself, so to speak.

…

Percy's POV

…

If you thought that I had a hard time concentrating at school as it was, you should've seen me after Jason became my partner. My grades slipped a little lower than normal, except for Physical Science. I was almost at a B- in that class. That was because I had something solid to focus on. And no, I didn't mean Jason. I meant the mouse trap car. Over the weekend, we'd carved and sanded the body. Now, we were fashioning the wheels.

"Cut off both ends," Jason instructed. I watched as he demonstrated, then pulled the balloon over the old CD I brought to school with me today. I copied him, pulling my own balloon over the CD. I could only find three same colors, so we had three blue wheels and one green wheel. Jason called it our lucky wheel. As long as we had it, we were sure to get an A on this project. "There we go," Jason said, admiring our handiwork. "We're so far ahead already Perce. Wanna take a break?"

"Sure," I replied, stacking the CDs in our little cubby we were using to hold the supplies. I sat back down in my chair and quietly observed the rest of the class. Most of them were still arguing about how to make it. A few were up to the building phase, and were desperately trying to find the right wood to make it. Annabeth was in the middle of an argument over the right wood to use with Will, while Grover and Jake looked down at their paper in dismay. They hadn't even come up with a basic design yet.

"Feels good, doesn't it?" Jason said, I turned a questioning look on him. "Being ahead I mean. We can sit back and relax a bit. We have the body all designed already. Hell, we could even test her out before we race her." I smiled.

"Our car is a her then?" I asked. "We should name her then. Something fierce."

"Thalia!" Jason exclaimed, and I threw my head back and laughed. That would probably scare our classmates more than anything. Most still remembered the time Thalia knocked Will's two front teeth out because he made the mistake of picking on Jason. There was blood everywhere, and Thalia got suspended for three weeks because of it. It was a perfect name for our car.

"Thalia it is," I said. I got our car out of the cubby, along with some black paint and a brush. I scrawled out Thalia's name along the side of our car with big, sloppy, half-cursive writing. Jason looked over and smiled.

"Perfect," he declared. "Black and rounded, a bit like my sister, wouldn't you say?" I laughed again, mostly from relief. Jason was the only one who could get away with picking on Thalia and public. At the very least, he wouldn't have his teeth knocked in or his hands and feet broken. Thalia wouldn't attack her own brother. "Let's put this away while the paint dries," Jason said, setting our car in the cubby. He leaned against the table and studied me. "You really like the hair, don't you?" he asked. I tucked it behind my ears and shrugged.

"It's hard to manage," I replied carefully. "But I like it. Why, do you have a problem with it?" I felt the little fire of resentment flaring back to life. Jason held up his hands and shook his head.

"I like it fine," he said. "It suits you. May I?" Before I could say a thing, he reached out and ran his hands through my hair. "Soft," he said with a smile. "A lot like the rest of you, eh?" I didn't know if I felt happy about that or not. Or if it was even a compliment or not.

…

"Stupid Jason," I mumbled, sitting in front of my dresser and studying my reflection in the mirror. I had my brush in my hand, but so far I'd failed at doing anything with my hair. I didn't like it anymore. It appeared too long. It didn't frame my face like I usually thought it did. It just made it seem long and irregular. I set the brush aside and ran my fingers through it. They caught on snarls, and I winced. But I wasn't going to brush it. I had a different idea.

I swiveled my chair so I was facing my desk, and rooted around the drawers. I came up with a pair of black scissors, something of which mom had no idea I had. I positioned myself in front of my mirror, took a small portion of my hair, and chopped about five inches off, so my hair ended just above my ears. I continued the process until it was even all around, then I held up my handheld mirror to inspect the back. Not bad. I gathered up all the hair and put it in a plastic bag. I tied the ends together and stuffed it in the trash. I didn't want to keep it scruffy looking though, so I searched Google for inspiration. I finally found something I liked, and I got my sculpting gel out from the drawer of my dresser.

"Percy, what are you doing in there sweetie?" mom asked, knocking on my bedroom door. I turned to look at it.

"You'll see mom," I said, getting a nice little handful of goop. "It's a surprise. I'll show you when I'm done." I turned back to the mirror and applied the goop to my hair. Then I began sweeping it up in the front until it stood up in a little point. I left the sides down a little while sweeping the rest toward the front. And finally I did the same to the back. Now my hair looked like it had little brown waves in it. I stood up and looked at it from every angle. I liked my new hairstyle. I took a picture of myself and sent it to Jason. _Hey, new style. What to do you think_? I sat down in my chair and began putting things away. My phone buzzed.

_Omg so you!_ Jason replied._ I luv it. Why didn't you do that sooner? You look good in short hair_! I flushed with pleasure as I read his text. Hearing Jason say that…well, it put butterflies in my stomach.

_I was never interested_, I texted back. _But I luv it too_! And that was the truth, I realized. I was really starting to love my medium length hair. Just long enough to experiment with, but still short enough so it wouldn't snarl as much. I turned the volume up on my phone and tossed it onto my bed. I finished putting things away and then wheeled myself over to the desk to start my homework. No sooner had I opened the General Math book, my phone rang. I snatched it up.

_Looks good Perce. I wish I could do something like that with my hair. I'm tired of the comb-over look_. I was a little stumped. The Great Jason Grace had never once said he didn't like something about himself. _Think I could pull off the messy look? It's trying without trying_.

_I like your hair the way it is_, I wrote back, then I stared at the phone, open-mouthed. Did I really just say that? So much for loathing Jason Grace. I guess I didn't loath him anymore. I still didn't like him, but it wasn't loath. More like gentle hate. Yeah, that's it. Gentle hate.

_Really? Thanks Perce! That means a lot :). _I giggled and scribbled answers in my notebook. I wasn't entirely sure why, but hearing Jason said that made me happy. Get ready Hell. There's a blizzard watch tonight.

…

Jason's POV

…

"Whatcha doing baby bro?" I jerked up when Thalia entered my room and sat down on my bed. I huffed with anger and hunched back over my Honors Algebra I book. It's basically geometry with an algebra title. I was working on proofs, which I found to be the most boring things ever invented. I mean, seriously, who needs to prove a triangle is a triangle? Three sides, three points, it's a triangle. Your standard two year old knew this information by now. I could go on about this all night. So instead of arguing with myself about the pros and cons of proofs, I turned to Thalia. Equations still swam through my head, so I shook it.

"Doing homework," I replied. My phone rang. "Texting Percy," I added, snatching my phone up. "Percy cut and styled his hair, and we've been talking about that." I sent him a text back then stuffed my phone in my pocket.

"Percy?" Thalia asked, wrinkling her nose. "Sounds like an old person's name." I bristled.

"Percy's a great name!" I practically shouted. No one, and I mean no one, could make fun of Percy's name. He was insecure enough as it was. Besides, Thals is my sister. She'd better like Percy, because if I had any say in it, he was going to be around for a long while yet. "Besides, don't make fun of him. I think he gets enough of that at school."

"Going for the unpopular again, are you Jay?" Thalia asked. She tisked. "I thought you learned from Leo in seventh grade. You know that's why we moved." I closed my eyes.

"This time is different," I insisted. "Percy's gay. Will and Jake tell me all the time he's gay. Actually, they kind of poke fun at him for the fact. Besides, I'm not interested in _that_ kind of relationship. He hates me. Loathes me, actually. I just want to change his mind about me."

"Ah, but that's where you're going wrong, dear brother," Thalia said, rising from her place. "There's a very thin line between _I loathe you_ and _I love you_. You'll see. This Percy fellow will change his mind alright. He'll change it." She left, leaving me to stare at the spot she'd been in. Was there really a thin line between those two things? I didn't want Percy's love. I wanted…I guess I wanted him to hate me less. If he became my friend, all the better. But I didn't love him. I didn't even like him that way. At least, I was pretty sure…

"How do I feel about you Percy?" I asked his picture. His smiling face offered no answers, but it did make me smile. I loved his new hair. More than I cared to really admit. To myself. Not to him. I would shower him with praise. I would smother him with it. I smiled to myself. My goal, ultimately, was to make Percy Jackson feel like he was special, because I knew he didn't think so. He was special. He just needed a little self-esteem boost. "I guess I'm not sure how I feel about you, Perce," I said at last. He hadn't texted me back yet, but I was content to wait for a reply. I didn't have to wait long.

_Don't get used to it Grace. I don't give compliments often. But yes, I like the style you have_. My heart gave a little flutter. Everyone thought that I was perfect, and when I did doubt myself, I needed to hear something positive. Percy saying he liked my hair was enough positive to keep me going till next year, maybe even the year after.

_Why thank you good sir. *bows* I appreciate it_. I laughed as I texted that. I really hoped he was laughing as he read it.

_LOL! God Grace, we aren't born in the 1700s. You're funny_. If my heart fluttered before, now it was launching to the moon.

_Yep, that's me_, I replied. _Here to please. Hey, g2g. Text you tomorrow_?

_You bet! Night Jason. Sweet dreams_. I set my phone on silent and set it on my nightstand. It was late, but I wasn't the least bit sleepy. I felt charged and full of energy. And I kept thinking about what Thalia said. About that thin line. Could the line really be that thin? Was Percy a stone's throw away from _I love you_? It didn't seem possible. How could you go from _I loathe you _to _I love you_ in that few a steps? I had a long way to go with him yet. But I wasn't giving up.

I rolled onto my back and stared at the ceiling, thinking. I wanted Percy's affection, sure, but just being his friend would be nice enough. I wasn't picky. I switched to my side and stared at my white walls. White was basic. White helped me think. Like right now. What exactly did I hope to gain from all of this? Maybe it was a bad idea being paired up with him after all. I didn't know exactly what I wanted to gain from this. _No_, I scolded myself. _You wanted this Jason. You make it work. You owe it to Percy_. I got my phone back and typed a quick message.

_Night Percy. Sweet dreams to you too. And hey, you might not think much of yourself, but to someone else, you mean the world_. I stared at the text over and over, rereading it in my head. It felt like something was still missing from it. Then I figured it out. _You mean the world to me_. Before I could stop myself, I sent it. Then I set the phone back on my nightstand and closed my eyes.

…

Percy's POV

…

I was still awake when Jason sent me his message, and when I read it, I definitely didn't feel tired anymore. I sat up in my bed and read the text over and over. I felt myself smiling, despite the fact that I wasn't sure if I liked him yet. With trembling fingers, I typed a reply.

_You'd better mean that Jason. I don't like my feelings toyed with. But, if you aren't joking, thank you. That means a lot to me, to hear you say that_. I set the phone aside and lay on my back, staring at my ceiling. There was a fine line between _I loathe you_ and _I love you_. I'm pretty sure I had one foot on the I love you side now. It was snowing in Hell.

…

Well, sorry about all the italics, first thing. Secondly, I really hope you like Percy's new cut. The main reason he cut it off was because Jason liked his long hair, and he didn't want that. But Jason likes it no matter what, so he may as well enjoy it. Confidence booster time!


	4. Chapter 4-Sick Day

I didn't even know what to update going into this, but I think I'll continue to work on my Jacey. So sue me if you want me to update something else. Actually, just let me know the next thing you want to see updated and I'll work on that.

…

Percy's POV

…

I woke up slowly at first, then I bolted from my bed and ran into the bathroom, throwing up into the sink. I groaned and crawled back to my room, clawing my way onto my bed. I didn't feel good. That about summed up how I felt. Actually, it felt like someone was giving me a bath in cold fire. I tossed the blanket aside, then threw it, my pillow, and finally my sheets to the floor, so I was laying on a bare mattress. I peeled my shirt off and closed my eyes, wiling the fire away.

"Percy, time to get up," mom said, peeking in. "Percy, why is all your stuff on the floor?" She came in and folded my sheet and blanket, setting them on the end of the bed. She forced my eyelids open and peered into my eyes. "You don't look good sweetie," she commented at last.

"I don't feel good," I rasped, massaging my sore throat. "I threw up this morning, and I feel like someone's giving me a bath in cold fire." She placed her hand on my forehead.

"You have a fever Percy," she said, worry laced in her voice. "I think you should stay home today." I closed my eyes, relieved. But only for a few moments. Then I remembered Jason.

"No!" I said, sitting up fast and sending the room spinning. I plopped back down and focused on the ceiling. "I can't miss today. Jason and I are finishing the car today. Mom, we'll be a little over a week ahead. I've never been ahead before." Mom placed the phone beside my head, and I turned to look at it.

"You can call or text Jason," she said softly. "But you aren't going anywhere mister. You're sick." I groaned and hit my head against the mattress, then wrestled my pajama bottoms off. I was so hot. And I didn't want to call and cancel our plans for today. Jason was looking forward to being so far ahead. And Mrs. Arnald was proud of us for getting along so well. But mom was right. I couldn't go anywhere. I was sick. So I picked my phone up and stabbed the call button. I placed my phone near my ear and let my arm drop. It felt like it was full of lead.

"Hey Perce, what's up?" Jason asked as soon as he picked up. "Are you going to be here soon? Mrs. Arnald said she'd open the lab early just for us so we can work." I groaned and smeared a hand over my face.

"Sorry Jason," I croaked. "I can't go anywhere today. I'm sick."

"Oh no," Jason said. "I'll let her know. Looks like I'll have another day off."

"You're not going to continue working?" I asked, more than a little confused. If anything, I figured he'd want to continue to work so he could be ahead.

"Fuck no," he said. "This is _our_ project Percy. Not mine. I'm not doing this without you." I felt oddly happy about that. I felt like I was belonging. "Feel better soon Perce."

"Hey!" I said before he could hang up. "I have a question for you." He waited while I gathered my thoughts. Why did I even want to know? What if he didn't mean what he said? What if it was just a fluke, and I was falling for the wrong guy again? "You're text from last night…" I began.

"Let me stop you there," Jason interrupted. "Everything I said in that text is one hundred percent true. I might do some things I'm not proud of, Perce, but I would never lie about my feelings. You do mean the world to me. More than you could ever know." I listened quietly while he talked. I'd dreamed of someone saying this to me. "Percy, please, allow me to say one thing, without fear of consequences or stupid remarks."

"Sure?" I said uneasily. I had a sneaking suspicion of what it was. And if so, I didn't think I was mentally prepared for it.

"Hold on, someone's trying to spy," he said. I heard the sound of a door being slammed open. "Will you bastard, get out of here!" Jason said. "Don't make me get Thalia." Will ran out in fear, and Jason closed his door again. "That's better. Percy, I like you…a lot. In that more-than friends way that they always talk about but you never get until it happens to you."

"Jason…" I said, massaging my throat again. I didn't know what to say. What the hell do you say to something like that?

"Don't say anything," Jason pleaded. "Just know that I really like you. I hope someday you can like me too. But you hate me, don't you?" He sounded hurt.

"I…I don't know," I said miserably. "I don't think I loath you anymore, but I don't think I love you yet. I like you now, I guess. You're funny. You make me feel good. Even now." I smiled ruefully at the phone, even though he couldn't see it. "So, no I don't hate you."

"Oh that's a relief," he said with a little laugh. "Well it's not love, but it's a start. Hey, got to go. First period's almost here. I'll talk to you at lunch. See ya Perce. Love you." He hung up. That one left me reeling. Love you? That you most definitely didn't hear from the Great Jason Grace every day. As far as I knew, he'd never even had a proper date. So, why the feelings now?

…

I spent the day alternating between watching TV and sleeping. I did more sleeping than anything else. I felt like shit. The cold fire went away, only to be replaced by a full body ache. And I do mean ache. I hurt from the tips of my hairs to my toenails. Whatever was happening to me, it better go away soon. I needed to go back to school so we could finish our car. I was actually excited to finish, because we could test it and make the necessary modifications.

When the doorbell rang at three thirty, I almost added heart attack to the list of ailments. Groaning, I rose from the couch, wrapped the blanket around my shoulders, and shuffled to the door. That was right. I didn't walk. I shuffled. That was how sick I was. I opened the door and it took my sick brain a minute to register who was standing in front of me.

"Hey Perce," Jason said. "May I come in?" I moved aside and he strode passed me. I followed him to the kitchen at a slower pace. When I arrived, I blinked in surprise. Somehow, I hadn't noticed all the stuff Jason was carrying. "The balloon was Thalia's idea," Jason said. I glanced up at the black and white balloon with Get Well Soon scrawled across it in silver. The teddy bear. The card.

"Um," I said, but I had a smile on my face. No one had ever gone to this much trouble when I was sick. "This is sweet," I said. "But totally unnecessary."

"Bullshit," Jason said with a smile, handing me the teddy bear. I hugged it to my chest and stroked its soft plush. Guess what I'd be sleeping with tonight? "I wish someone would do this for me when I'm sick." I coughed and doubled over, dry heaving. I didn't have anything left in my body to throw up at this point. "Careful," Jason said, helping me stand up straight. "Easy does it." I wasn't aware of him moving me until he was seating me back on the couch. He sat down at one end, and I stretched out, plopping my head on his lap. He made a nice pillow. Jason gazed down at me in mild surprise, but he grabbed up the remote and channel surfed.

"Don't you have practice?" I asked. The fuzzy idea was starting to come into focus. Jason. Practice. Jason had practice today. "You should go," I rasped. "Don't let me stop you." Jason looked down at me and smirked.

"I'm skipping," he said. "I told coach I had somewhere important to be, and he let me off the hook today. So, I'm yours until tomorrow." He said it casually, like he suggesting something to eat rather than admitting he skipped practice _just for me_. I wasn't sure how I felt about that. I'd never had someone skip something important to them for me. "Do you want to watch something specific?" he asked. I squinted at the TV, but the effort was taking too much out of me.

"I'm going to take a nap," I said to him. "Don't move pillow." I curled up and closed my eyes, and in no time I was out.

…

Jason's POV

…

I tried my hardest to concentrate on Family Guy, but with Percy curled up beside me looking fucking adorable, it was really hard to pay attention to the show. He still had the teddy bear I'd gotten him at the store clutched in his arms, and he looked about five. He mumbled in his sleep, no doubt due to the fever he still obviously had. I was probably going to be sick after this visit, but I found it worth the risk. I'd worried about Percy all day. I'd never seen him skip school before, even when he was sick.

"Percy are you?" I turned when I heard someone let themselves into the apartment. A woman who looked like a female version of Percy studied me intently, then her gaze travelled over her sleeping son. She looked like she wanted to smile, but instead she didn't. Nor did she frown at me.

"Hello, I'm Jason Grace," I said politely. "I would get up and shake your hand, but your son promoted me to pillow. I'd wake him if I moved." Finally, she smiled at me.

"Ah, yes Jason," she said. "Percy has mentioned you once or twice." She squinted at the stuffed bear. "What's that?" she asked, pointing at it.

"I bought him a bear," I said.

"Uh huh." I nearly leaped off the couch when Percy opened his eyes. "You two make it impossible to sleep. Mom, meet JJ the bear." I looked at him quizzically.

"JJ?" I asked. "That sounds like a nickname."

"It is," he said. "It means Jason Junior." I was rendered speechless by that one. "Say hello to Big Jason, JJ," he told the bear. He made it wave at me, and I chuckled.

"Hullo JJ," I said to the bear, and he giggled. Percy's mom had gone silent to watch us, the biggest smile I'd ever seen on her face. She looked so happy that Percy had a friend over, even when he was sick. "Do you want to sit up?" I asked Percy. At his nod, I helped prop him up so he was half sitting, half leaning against the back of the couch.

"Thank you," he said to me, looking at the TV. "Yuck, Robot Chicken. Can you find something else?" I began channel surfing again, and when we hit cartoons, his face lit up. "Let's watch Fairly Oddparents!" he exclaimed. I chuckled and turned it to the show. We sat in silence for awhile, just enjoying each other's company and the show itself. It was the episode where Timmy challenged Vicky for control of the skate park. I loved this episode. "Jason?" Percy whimpered. I turned, and found him clutching his stomach. "I…" he began. I didn't let him get much farther. I leapt of the couch, scooped him up, and ran him to the bathroom. I knelt beside him as he threw up into the toilet. "Oh god," he moaned, sinking down to the floor.

"It's okay, it's okay," I murmured, rubbing his back. "Do you want your mom?" Percy shook his head and forced himself back up onto his knees. He leaned over to toilet and threw up again.

"God Jason it hurts," he moaned, resting his head on the side of the toilet. "It hurts so much…" He threw up again. "Jason, stop the pain!" he pleaded. I looked around wildly. There had to be something to help him. "Jason!" he wailed, holding his arms out to me. I picked him up and rubbed his back.

"Percy, shush, it's okay," I soothed. "It's okay. It's over now. Wanna go get JJ?" He sniffed and nodded. I carried him to the living room and sat down on the couch. He curled up on my lap and shook. I wrapped one arm around him and used the other to reach over and retrieve the bear. I settled it on his lap, and he stroked its plush. I pulled the blanket around the two of us and held him tighter. "Shhh it's okay Percy. It's all over." He buried his face in my shirt. I glanced at the clock. And winced. "Percy," I said gently, untangling him. "I need to get going."

"No," Percy whispered. "Please don't leave me Jason. I can't do this alone. It hurts…" My heart broke a little when he said that. I hugged him close.

"Alright," I whispered. "I'll stay." Percy slumped against me, too tired to continue with the conversation. I lifted him up again and carried him to his room, where I gently laid him on his bare bed. I looked down and noticed his stuff stacked in a neat pile at the end of the bed. "Do you want your sheets and blanket and pillow?" I asked him.

"The sheet and blanket make me sweat," he said. "And I have a pillow. If he'll sleep with me tonight," he added shyly. I chuckled and crawled in next to him. He rested his head on my chest and sighed. "That's better," he mumbled. "JJ agrees with me on that one." He made the bear nod. I smiled.

"Go to sleep Percy," I replied. "You too JJ. Make Percy feel better, you hear." Percy giggled and closed his eyes, curling against the side of my body. I wrapped my arms around him and held him close, until his breathing evened out and he was deep in sleep. When that happened, I took my phone from the nightstand and cradled it to my ear. "Thals, you will never guess where I am?" I said with a grin.

"Percy's," she replied. "You're spending the night with Percy because he wants you to stay with him while he's sick." My jaw dropped. Yeah, that sounded about right. "Just be careful Jay," she said at last. "We don't' need a repeat of Leo." I closed my eyes. Why'd she have to remind me tonight?

"Percy's different," I said. "I can tell. He's coming around. I think you were right. There's a thin line between I loath you and I love you. He's closer to I love you now, I can feel it."

…

Percy's POV

…

My fever kept waking me up, but seeing Jason sleep made it almost worth it. He was adorable when he slept. His hair flopped into his face, and his mouth hung open a little bit. He drooled in his sleep. Though I'd been told I do too. God, we were a lot alike weren't we?

"Night Jason," I said. "I…I love you." Get ready Hell. You were going to be confused with Antarctica tonight. I kissed his forehead and settled back down, slipping into restless sleep.

…

Well, wasn't that lovely. I love nurse Jason!


	5. Chapter 5-The Truth About Leo

So, I know I have other stories I need to work on, but I was rereading this story and ideas started popping up. Thank you very much, cluttered brain. Also, can I just say, I love you guys? Really, you're like my extended family now.

...

Percy's POV

...

I was up at five, and when I say up, I mean it. I was showered, dressed, and ready for the day. Jason was still sleeping when I slipped back into my room, and I didn't have the heart to wake him, so I sat down on the end of my bed and tried my best to catch up on the homework I missed yesterday. But after about ten mintues, the words began swimming off the page. Mom says I may be dyslexic, but I never wanted to get tested. It would just be another reason for people to pick on me, slow and can't read. I shoved my book away and huffed angrily.

"Feeling better?" I looked up and found Jason sitting against my headboard, studying me. "Having some trouble with the homework?"

"No!" I snapped. At his wounded look, I relented. "Alright, yes," I mumbled. "The words won't stay on the page. They keep trying to swim away. Hey, it's five thirty. Go back to bed will you?" Part of it was because he must have been exhausted. The other part was because of what I'd said to him the night before. I love you... Had I really said that to him? I couldn't have. I wasn't thinking straight last night. It was my feverish brain just being thankful someone was here tonight.

"Oh, I'm fine," he said around a huge yawn. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and stretched his arms above his head, lacing his fingers together. I couldn't help but stare at his exposed stomach. Not necessarily hevily muscled, but not a trace of fat to be seen. Blushing,I glanced away. Jason made a series of noises like a baby whale dying, then rose. "Hey man, I don't have any extra clothes with me. Think I can?" He gestured to my closet. I sprang up.

"Sure!" I said with a little too much enthusiasm. I dug a pair of clean jeans out from the bottom of the closet and tossed them to him. He stripped right there, as if changing in front of me wasn't a problem. If I'd been blushing before, now I turned the color of a coca cola can. I couldn't help sneak a peek of his black boxers with a lime green elastic waistband though. Shaking my head, I looked around for a shirt for him to wear. I was wearing my drama shirt with the "upside down" arrows. It was a pink shirt with lime green writing on it. Jason came and peered over my shoulder. How about this little bit?" he asked, retrieving a couple of items. I blinked at them. Mom must have gotten them without my knowledge. It was a plain white t-shirt with a little black velvet vest. Jason slipped them on and twirled around. The vest fluttered out like angel wings, and I gaped at him. "I must look good," he concluded, running his hand through his blonde hair. It swept over in its ususal comb-over style

"Good might not be the word I'd use," I said slowly. His face slowly fell as he examined himself in my dresser mirror. "Hey, I said good wasn't the word I'd used. Don't look so wounded." He eyed me warily.

"What would you use," he asked me, sitting down at my chair by my dresser. He began examining my hair products and other things for my hair. I tried to think of a good word to describe him. Angelic was what I'd been thinking, but there was no way I would say that to him. I hugged JJ to my chest and continued thinking. God-like? Blonde Superman?

"Handsome," I finally said. Jason had been busy studying my soft-bristled brush, but he set it down and turned his blue gaze on me. "Handsome," I repeated. "You look handsome." He seemed like he he was debating what to feel. Or trying to decide if I was joking or not. Finally, he smiled. He sat down beside me and stroked JJ's soft plush, all the while staring at me.

"Thank you for the compliment," he said as his phone rang. "Oh, hang on," he told me, holding up a hand as he checked his phone. He punched a few buttons and held the phone out in front of him. "Hey Thals," he said. "You're on speaker phone. Say hi to Percy."

"Hey Percy," Jason's sister said to me. "Jay, be sure you know what you're doing. Leo." Just for a moment, Jason's calm demeanor evaporated, and a panicky look flared in his eyes. But as quickly as it came, it left. He smiled easily at me and rolled his eyes.

"Thalia, it's fine," he said, though his happiness now seemed a little forced. "Hey, I gotta help Percy with his homework. See ya sis." He hung up and let out a shaky breath. His demeanor slipped again, though this time it stayed gone. He sank down on the bed and put his head between his knees like he had a he had a headache. I reached out and gently rubbed his shoulder.

"Jay," I said hesitantly. "Who's Leo. And why would Thalia have to warn you?" Jason looked up, and his eyes were shiney with unshed tears. He took a shuddery breath and shook his head.

"I...I can't..." he started, then he shook his head again. "God, Percy, I swear I'll explain. I haven't told anyone this, so please can you keep this a secret?" I nodded. Jason pulled me to him, and I curled up and rested my head on his lap as he ran his fingers through my hair. "Leo Valdez was my best friend in elementary school. We did everything together. We even went on vacation together in fifth grade. I'd always had special feelings for him, and at first I just thought it was because he was my best friend. I figured everyone felt that way. But in seventh grade it began to dawn on me; I liked Leo. More than that. I...I loved Leo." I listened in fascinated horror. I had a feeling I knew where this story was headed. "One night, he was spending the night at my house with a couple other people. We were talking about our crushes. It got to me, and I said, in all seriousness, 'Leo.' At first, they thought I was kidding. But when I didn't laugh, or even smile, they realized I wasn't joking. I meant it. I had a crush on Leo. I turned to him. I told him I loved him. He was my first love, Percy."

"What did he do?" I asked. It didn't seem like this story had a happy ending. Jason snorted.

"What did he do?" he replied in a question. "He told me I was an abomination and that I was going to hell. He told me he would never love me. Worse, he told me I would never be his friend again. He left, with our other friends in tow. I'd thought nothing could be worse than that. I was so wrong. Leo told everyone at school that I liked boys, and to watch out, or I was going to want to sleep with them. Everyone avoided me. They hated gays. My teachers began failing me, simply because of my sexual preferances. I was kicked off my basketball and track teams. No one seemed to want to do anything. It got so bad, mom made us change schools. She and Thalia always remind me to be careful.

"Oh Jason..." I said, wrapping my arms around his waist and squeezing. I'd always thought Jason had the easy life. The perfect life. Now I knew better. Jason had always been the one I wanted to be. Now, I'd give anything not to be in his shoes. I wouldn't want to deal with the shit he had to deal with. My peers accepted me without much difficulties. "Are you out?" I asked him.

"Oh, not yet," he said casually. All his earlier sadness was gone. "I've been waiting for a reason to out myself. I haven't had a reason to do so."

"Do you now?" I asked. Jason drew me up and wrapped his arms around me. It looked like he was going to go in for a kiss, but he held back.

"Of course I do," he said. "It's you. You are the reason I'm going to out myself. You're worth it." I sat there, shocked and speechless, as Jason nuzzled my neck. "Remember Percy, you mean the world to me. I don't even care if you like me that way yet. I'll wait." He gave me a grin that made all his other ones seem fake. "Can I say one other thing?" he asked.

"Sure," I replied. Jason grinned again, his real grin. The one no one else but me got to see.

"I love you," he said softly.

...

Jason's POV

...

Something changed between Percy and I. In science, he would barely look or talk to me. We barely got anything done. It was frustrating, and I actually snapped at him to pay attention. He flinched like I'd actually slapped him, and he sank farther into his shell. I think he cried a little when I wasn't looking, because Annabeth and Grover came over and ushered him away. Annabeth glared at me, and I stared at his retreating figure in dismay. I hadn't meant to hurt him.

"Dude," Will said, snapping his fingers under my nose. "Are you with us today. You've been staring at that tuna casserole like it's going to bite you. I don't think it actually will, 'cause Jake and I have eaten quite a bit of it." I shoved my uneaten food away. I didn't have much of an appetite today. I wasn't even sure why I'd gotten food. I wasn't going to eat it. "More for me," Will said with a shrug, pulling my tray to himself and heaping the offending casserole onto his tray. Jake helped himself to my strawberries. I just watched them take my food. I glanced down at my phone to make sure Percy hadn't magically texted me back without me knowing. But nothing. So I sent him a fifth text.

_If it's about this morning, I'm sorry I said anything. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. But you do mean the world to me. Please talk to me_. I sent the text then sighed unhappily. Jake and Will stopped talking and eating and looked at me.

"Dude, you act like your mom died," Jake said. "What's up? Is your love life failing or something?" I flinched. Jake had gotten so close to the truth, it hurt. I stood up so fast my chair shot backward into the next table, causing some random girl to jump. I flushed and ran into the bathroom attached to the lunchroom. I locked the door and turned to face the mirror. My hands were shaking, so I shoved them into the pockets of my borrowed jeans. Percy's stuff was a little snug on me, but for the most part, they fit. I looked at the shirt and vest. I didn't see Percy wearing something like this. He was the kind of guy that wore t-shirts and sweaters all the time, but he still managed to make it look good.

I waited until the final bell for lunch rang, then I waited some more. Finally, I emerged from the bathroom. I had a weird feeling in my stomach, so I went to the nurse's office to lie down. She was out today, but the office laides ushered me inside and let me lay on the rubbery cot. I rolled so I could face the white brick wall. I didn't feel sick. Not really. I just felt like I'd somehow screwed everything up. I scrubbed my face with one hand and sighed again.

"Jason?" I turned to find Percy hovering at the doorway. It was the first word he'd said to me since he got ushered away in science. I squinted at him. He'd ditche his drama shirt, and right now he wore a basketball jersey and white shorts. Gym clothes. Something of which I would guess he wasn't particularly skilled. "Are you okay Jason?" he asked. He made no move to come over to me, but at least we were on speaking terms again.

"I guess," I said, sitting up and leaning against the wall. "I feel a little weird." His expression softened considerably.

"Did I get you sick?" he asked. I shook my hand.

"Nah," I said. "I just feel like a royally screwed up with you. I didn't mean to scare you off, I swear. I always speak my mind, because I never know if I'm going to be around to speak it." He seemed to consider that for a second. Finally, he gave a tiny nod.

"Alright," he said. "I guess I can accept that. I must admit, it freaked me out a little. Especially after that story about Leo." As I usually did when someone mentioned his name, I closed my eyes and felt the wave of dispair wash over me. I could see Leo's face the night I told him I love him, the scorn all over his face. His lip curled up in disgust. The way he shook with fury and revulsion. "Jay?" I opened my eyes, and Percy's worried gaze met mine. "Are you okay? Sorry I mentioned Leo." I took a few deep breaths to still my racing heart. Three years later and I still found my heart gave a little flutter everytime someone brought him up. I wondered how he was doing. "Anyway, are you sure you love me?" I looked at him in shock.

"Of course I love you!" I exclaimed, my voice rising in pitch. I plucked at the hem of the shirt. "Why would I say it if I don't mean it?" He gazed at me like he was trying to see through me.

"Because you might still love Leo," he said softly. I sucked in a breath. How dare he? I wasn't in love with Leo! Not anymore. Not after what he did. And yet... "You do, don't you," he said, disappointment now dripping from his voice. "You do still love Leo, don't you?"

"I don't know," I replied miserably. I didn't want mixed feelings around Percy. He made me feel good. He made me feel whole. Hell, he made me feel like my life was actually worth living. "I do know I care about you though," I told him. "I care about you a lot. I can be your friend. You'll see."

"I don't know if I want to be your friend," he said softly. I stared at him, dumbfounded. "I can't be friends with you Jason," he said, backing away slowly. "I'm supposed to loath you, remember? I have seven school days left. After that, I don't owe you anything."

"Percy?" I asked. This was worse than Leo. Maybe I'd never really loved Leo. Loving Leo didn't feel like this. Loving Percy felt so right, and him rejecting me was like sticking a hot knife through my heart. "Please, reconsider." He stared at me for the longest time. Then, he took a deep breath.

"Okay, okay," he said softly. "Honestly, it would kill me not talking to you again. Hey, I should get to gym. Feel better, okay?" He gave a little wave as he jogged out of the room. I watched him go, a smile tugging on my lips. I couldn't describe to you what it felt like to hear him say it would kill him to not talk to me again. My phone rang, scaring me. I pulled it out and looked at it. It was Percy. And it was a quote.

"'To the world, you might be one person. But to one person, you might be the world,'" I read aloud. "'And you, Jason Grace, are my world." I smiled at my phone. That quote always made me a little misty-eyed. But now, it had a special meaning. Percy just said I was his world!

...

That was lovely and fluffy and far from over. And I'm sorry Leo is such a bully (since he isn't like that), but that was the angle I was going for. So, again, sorry Leo is such a jerk.


End file.
